FABRICATION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL COCONUT MILK EXTRACTOR

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the performance of an improved mechanical coconut milk extractor to determine its capacity and efficiency in extracting coconut milk from grated coconut meat. The improved extractor is geared towards the sustainable production of coconut milk, maximizing extraction and utilization to reduce waste compared to the screw press currently used in the locality. The coconut milk extractor with IPOPhil Utility Model registration no. 2-2016000363 was fabricated using stainless-steel materials on parts with direct contact with the food, and the rest were painted mild-steel materials using 3- ton hydraulic jack. Mature coconut fruits were selected, cut, grated, and packed using a nylon net. Capacity and efficiency were evaluated based on 2 kg of grated coconut meat load per press. The findings revealed that the design had a capacity of 50.78 kg/h with 2.30 minutes average pressing time, producing 1.08 kg of coconut milk, which is 54% extraction efficiency. The screw press produced 21.65 kg/h capacity in 5.5 minutes of pressing time, producing 1.09 kg coconut milk with 54.50% extraction efficiency. There was a significant difference in extraction capacity and no significant difference in extraction efficiency at a 1% level of significance. The improved extractor production cost amounted to Php14, 599.00 for one unit, which can be recovered in 72 days, operating at four (4) hours per day, charging Php 1.00/kg pressing load. It is recommended to conduct further improvements on the design to suit the needs of the coconut milk producers, food manufacturers, and VCO processors.